--- title: "GIS software: Which brands are most popular in search?" description: "Compare the geographic information systems teams use. Share of Search among QGIS, Esri ArcGIS, Mapbox, CARTO and Maptitude, the GIS software Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/gis-software" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # GIS software: Which brands are most popular in search? Compare the geographic information systems teams use. Share of Search among QGIS, Esri ArcGIS, Mapbox, CARTO and Maptitude, the GIS software Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Competitive set**: GIS software - **Market**: Global - **Brands compared**: 5 - **Month measured**: Aug 2026 - **Highest Share of Search**: QGIS, 49.3% ## Which brand is most popular in search among GIS software worldwide? - In August 2026, QGIS was the most searched among GIS software worldwide, with an estimated 368K branded searches and 49.3% estimated Share of Search within this set. - Esri ArcGIS is in 2nd place, 22.4 percentage points behind at 27% Share of Search. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, QGIS’s estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide increased from 47.2% to 49.3%. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Esri ArcGIS’s estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide decreased from 31.6% to 27%. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Mapbox’s estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide increased from 17.3% to 18.1%. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, CARTO’s estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide increased from 3.5% to 5.4%. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, QGIS’s estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide peaked at 50.5% in February 2026 and was lowest at 47.2% in October 2025. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Esri ArcGIS’s estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide peaked at 31.6% in April 2026 and was lowest at 27% in August 2026. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Mapbox’s estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide peaked at 18.5% in February 2026 and was lowest at 17.3% in October 2025. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, CARTO’s estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide peaked at 5.4% in August 2026 and was lowest at 3% in February 2026. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Maptitude held steady: its estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points. ## Compare search popularity between leading brands - [QGIS vs Esri ArcGIS: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/esri-arcgis-vs-qgis): 49.3% against 27% Share of Search. - [QGIS vs Mapbox: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/mapbox-vs-qgis): 49.3% against 18.1% Share of Search. - [QGIS vs CARTO: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/carto-vs-qgis): 49.3% against 5.4% Share of Search. - [Esri ArcGIS vs Mapbox: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/esri-arcgis-vs-mapbox): 27% against 18.1% Share of Search. - [Esri ArcGIS vs CARTO: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/carto-vs-esri-arcgis): 27% against 5.4% Share of Search. - [Mapbox vs CARTO: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/carto-vs-mapbox): 18.1% against 5.4% Share of Search. ## How did search popularity change for GIS software worldwide in August 2026? - In August 2026, CARTO gained estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide, from 4.5% to 5.4%. - QGIS’s estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 50.2% to 49.3% in August 2026. - Esri ArcGIS’s estimated Share of Search among GIS software worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 27.5% to 27% in August 2026. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Maptitude worldwide fell 63.9% over 11 measured months, from 3.6K to 1.3K in August 2026. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Mapbox worldwide fell 18.2% over 11 measured months, from 165K to 135K in August 2026. ## Share of Search ranking | Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | QGIS | 49.3% | 368K | 0.0% | QGIS | | 2 | Esri ArcGIS | 27% | 201K | 0.0% | Esri ArcGIS | | 3 | Mapbox | 18.1% | 135K | 0.0% | Mapbox | | 4 | CARTO | 5.4% | 40.5K | +22.4% | CARTO | | 5 | Maptitude | 0.17% | 1.3K | 0.0% | Maptitude | ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | QGIS | 450K | 47.2% | 1 | | Oct 2025 | Esri ArcGIS | 301K | 31.6% | 2 | | Oct 2025 | Mapbox | 165K | 17.3% | 3 | | Oct 2025 | CARTO | 33.1K | 3.5% | 4 | | Oct 2025 | Maptitude | 3.6K | 0.38% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | QGIS | 450K | 47.3% | 1 | | Nov 2025 | Esri ArcGIS | 301K | 31.6% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | Mapbox | 165K | 17.3% | 3 | | Nov 2025 | CARTO | 33.1K | 3.5% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | Maptitude | 2.9K | 0.3% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | QGIS | 368K | 47.3% | 1 | | Dec 2025 | Esri ArcGIS | 246K | 31.6% | 2 | | Dec 2025 | Mapbox | 135K | 17.3% | 3 | | Dec 2025 | CARTO | 27.1K | 3.5% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | Maptitude | 2.4K | 0.31% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | QGIS | 450K | 50.2% | 1 | | Jan 2026 | Esri ArcGIS | 246K | 27.4% | 2 | | Jan 2026 | Mapbox | 165K | 18.4% | 3 | | Jan 2026 | CARTO | 33.1K | 3.7% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | Maptitude | 2.9K | 0.32% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | QGIS | 450K | 50.5% | 1 | | Feb 2026 | Esri ArcGIS | 246K | 27.6% | 2 | | Feb 2026 | Mapbox | 165K | 18.5% | 3 | | Feb 2026 | CARTO | 27.1K | 3% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | Maptitude | 2.4K | 0.27% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | QGIS | 450K | 47.3% | 1 | | Mar 2026 | Esri ArcGIS | 301K | 31.6% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | Mapbox | 165K | 17.3% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | CARTO | 33.1K | 3.5% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | Maptitude | 2.9K | 0.3% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | QGIS | 450K | 47.3% | 1 | | Apr 2026 | Esri ArcGIS | 301K | 31.6% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | Mapbox | 165K | 17.3% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | CARTO | 33.1K | 3.5% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | Maptitude | 2.4K | 0.25% | 5 | | May 2026 | QGIS | 450K | 50.2% | 1 | | May 2026 | Esri ArcGIS | 246K | 27.5% | 2 | | May 2026 | Mapbox | 165K | 18.4% | 3 | | May 2026 | CARTO | 33.1K | 3.7% | 4 | | May 2026 | Maptitude | 1.6K | 0.18% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | QGIS | 368K | 50.2% | 1 | | Jun 2026 | Esri ArcGIS | 201K | 27.4% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | Mapbox | 135K | 18.4% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | CARTO | 27.1K | 3.7% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | Maptitude | 1.6K | 0.22% | 5 | | Jul 2026 | QGIS | 368K | 49.8% | 1 | | Jul 2026 | Esri ArcGIS | 201K | 27.2% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | Mapbox | 135K | 18.3% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | CARTO | 33.1K | 4.5% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | Maptitude | 1.3K | 0.18% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | QGIS | 368K | 49.3% | 1 | | Aug 2026 | Esri ArcGIS | 201K | 27% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | Mapbox | 135K | 18.1% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | CARTO | 40.5K | 5.4% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | Maptitude | 1.3K | 0.17% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | CARTO | — | — | — | | Sep 2026 | Esri ArcGIS | — | — | — | | Sep 2026 | Mapbox | — | — | — | | Sep 2026 | Maptitude | — | — | — | | Sep 2026 | QGIS | — | — | — | ## What is being compared - **CARTO**: Measured on the search term “carto”. - **Esri ArcGIS**: Measured on the search term “arcgis”. - **Mapbox**: Measured on the search term “mapbox”. - **Maptitude**: Measured on the search term “maptitude”. - **QGIS**: Measured on the search term “qgis”. - [CARTO](/demand/global-en/brands/carto) - [Esri ArcGIS](/demand/global-en/brands/esri-arcgis) - [Mapbox](/demand/global-en/brands/mapbox) - [Maptitude](/demand/global-en/brands/maptitude) - [QGIS](/demand/global-en/brands/qgis) ## Methodology - [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which brand is most popular in search among GIS software worldwide? In August 2026, QGIS was the most searched among GIS software worldwide, with an estimated 368K branded searches and 49.3% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "GIS software: Which brands are most popular in search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/gis-software This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/gis-software. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.